Class plan: what is it and what is its importance in an online course?

The lesson plan is an essential resource for all those who work as , since the contents must be planned in advance so that the course is of quality and, mainly, so that it fits within the available time.

Without planning, you may not have time to broadcast everything you wanted.

But beware, do not think that this is only related to the so-called face-to-face courses!

When it is also very important that you plan all the classes that will be recorded. This way you manage to follow a logical sequence of the content, in addition to adapting everything with the time of each video.

So, if you have never thought about this type of planning before, keep reading this post and learn how to create a lesson plan for your online course.

What is a lesson plan?

The lesson plan is one of the old acquaintances of teachers. It is a descriptive document that indicates everything you will have to do in your classes. In other words, it is a tool for planning activities and content.

The goal is to transmit as much knowledge as possible. So, nothing better than having a planning tool that allows you to organize the content that will be taught in the most logical way.

Unlike what many people imagine, the lesson plan is not fixed, that is, it can be updated permanently and whenever necessary.

This flexibility is due to the fact that the focus in a class can change during the course and also because the planning is built before the course begins. For this reason, it may happen that what is planned is not appropriate for the group, due to its particular characteristics.

However, in an online class it is not possible to modify your videos while the course is running.

But if you have a lesson plan and you realize that your audience is not comfortable with the way the content has been taught, it is possible to make modifications based on what was previously planned.

The class plan then works as a guide for teachers, since in it you explain the steps to follow during the course, the sequence of content that you are going to teach, the way in which you will present each topic, the evaluation methods and activities. , among other things you want to add.

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What is the importance of the lesson plan?

The lesson plan varies according to the type of content to be taught, but its importance is the same for all courses, whether online or face-to-face.

Let’s see below what are the main advantages of using this document:

1. Help plan online classes

One of the main benefits of the lesson plan is organization.

Many teachers get lost in the middle of the content they have to teach, mainly when the classes are recorded and are not too long.

This document helps in forming a macro view of the course and not just the separate parts.

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In this way, the teacher is able to think better about the time that he will spend on each content and also the order of presentation of each topic, since he will know exactly what he needs to teach before starting to record his classes.

2. Provide resources and tools

It is with the lesson plan that the teacher can understand what will be the applicable tools and resources in his material and when he should use each of these options.

In online courses, digital tools are essential because they allow students to understand the content well.

There are several that can be exploited by the teacher to improve their online course. If you think about them only at the time of recording the videos, you may find yourself with a big block or even forget to use them.

And remember: it is much easier when you can predict the resources you will use, and the lesson plan is the ideal time to think about it!

3. Facilitates the construction of the script

Before you do, you need to write your script, so you know exactly what you’re going to address in each video.

With a class plan, you will have a basis for your script, since this document allows the teacher to detect the objectives of each of the online classes.

Knowing what needs to be taught, it is much simpler to create a script for recording the content.

4. Help when preparing to teach

There is no doubt that if you are teaching a subject it is because you know it well. But still, preparation is essential, even for those who are very proficient in what they are going to teach.

As the lesson plan helps the teacher to know the content that he wants to impart to his students, it must be prepared thoroughly.

It is possible to practice beforehand so that, when recording the videos, the teacher does not waste time making extra recordings and correcting errors.

In addition, you will have more time available to do research related to the content that will be taught, which allows you to add information that goes beyond the basics, such as trivia and other sources of study.

5. Allow changes to be made

During lesson plan development, the teacher may become aware of items that need to be reviewed, tools that need to be replaced, and lessons that deserve special attention.

Therefore, with the document in hand, it is much easier to make changes.

It is necessary to remember that we are talking about , that is, you will not have face-to-face contact with the students.

Therefore, planning must be redoubled and errors must be corrected in advance.

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Characteristics of a lesson plan

For a lesson plan to be effective, it must meet certain characteristics.

When doing so, you need to take them into account and apply them, since their effects on the design and organization will be reflected in the learning outcomes of your students and not only that, but they could also help you lighten your load. of work.

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1. A lesson plan must be strategic

When we say that a lesson plan must be strategic, we mean that it must contain at least one objective to be achieved and then the instructions, steps to follow and strategies designed to achieve it.

This It will help your lesson plan schedule to be consistent with each other and with your long-term goals, adding integration and order to your way of working.

2. It must be structured and very well detailed

The function The main thing that a lesson plan has is to order and synthesize ideas by ordering them into an action plan, helping you to follow a guideline and have an objective vision of what you must do in the class you are teaching.

3. It is necessary to use understandable and direct language

The language used must be easy to understand both for the person who makes the lesson plan and for other people who can validate it or make adjustments, for this it is recommended to use simple and direct communication.

Some practices that you can follow to have an understandable plan are to avoid redundancy in ideas, write short texts, use colloquial language and use bullet points.

4. The lesson plan must be measurable and adjustable

It is very possible that despite a very effective class plan, adjustments must be made on the fly, because not everything can be planned, there are always factors that cannot be controlled.

For this reason, it is important to know that this plan is subject to changes or unforeseen events, but despite them, at the end of the year the previously defined objectives must be reached.

For this, it is essential to identify the key points of the plan, measure the progress of the actions, monitor the results achieved and finally evaluate and consider the feedback of those involved.

How to make a lesson plan?

But at the end of the day, how to make a good lesson plan?

From now on we are going to show you step by step how to prepare a class plan for your online course.

You will see that these are very simple steps, but that they will serve as a guide for practically all your course planning!

1. Select the ideal theme

The first step in creating the lesson plan is defining the topic of your course.

It is not possible to place several completely different contents or several courses on the same plane.

The correct thing is to divide the main topic of the course into small parts, as if they were subjects or subtopics.

2. Define the goal of your lesson plan

After delimiting the topic of the lesson plan, it is time to establish an objective, that is, the purpose of said lesson.

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Think of an objective related to the student, for example, the skill you hope to pass on to them and the knowledge they need to acquire after watching your class.

Do not forget the result you expect from the students. This way you can define what is the best approach for your class.

At this point it is important to be realistic, that is, take into account the time available for the class, the materials available and the level of training of your audience.

3. Have an effective methodology

Methodology is nothing more than the route that you will use to reach the result that you have determined to share your knowledge.

Basically, that is the moment when you will decide if you are going to give face-to-face classes, online, in video format, or audiobook, for example.

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4. Choose the right material

The selection of the necessary material for the construction of the lesson plan is one of the most important steps.

In order to be able to define in advance the resources that you will use in your classes, such as ebooks, expository video classes, you need to have a good understanding of the audience you want to reach.

Do not forget either that the selection of the material used must be related to the methodology and purpose of the classes.

5. Define the lesson plan period

The period refers to the time interval reserved for each of the subtopics provided for your online course.

Remember that the time available for the presentation of the contents is limited, since your course must have an end. That is why it is necessary that you divide the time well between the classes.

In addition, it also establishes the time spent in each video class. Try not to make your classes too long or too short. Think of all your content and divide it so that it is well structured.

6. Think of ways to assess student progress

During the course, he thinks about creating mechanisms to evaluate the performance of the students and, at the same time, the progress of the classes themselves.

This evaluation helps you understand if the methodology you chose is really efficient to guarantee the learning of what you are teaching.

7. Recommend bibliography and complementary materials

Finally, the lesson plan should also have a set of bibliographical references for both you and the students.

Recommend other sources where your students can find more information about what they are studying, as well as sources they can use to…

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